University of Central Lancashire to build $ 120 m campus in Mirigama

Thursday, 10 October 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Groundbreaking venture approved under Strategic Development Act by Parliament
Government looks at five foreign universities to open branches
Targets reducing foreign remittances made for education
To provide more higher education opportunities for students with means
To create direct and indirect employment for residents in Mirigama and suburbs

By Ashwin Hemmathagama Our Lobby Correspondent The project to establish a branch campus of the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in the Mirigama Export Processing Zone received Parliament approval yesterday without attracting much criticism from the Opposition. The UCLAN branch campus, which is identified as a Strategic Development Project, will be the first-of-its-kind foreign university to be established in Sri Lanka to attract fresh investments and mitigate local students leaving the island for foreign qualifications, forcing Sri Lanka to lose foreign currency reserves as remittances. According to Gazette Extraordinary No.1821/39, UCLAN will comply with the provisions of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 in conducting its activities, which will be in the national interest and of economic and social benefit to Sri Lanka. “It will accept 4,000 local and 6,000 foreign students. We have allocated 120 acres in the Mirigama Export Processing Zone for this special investment reaching US$ 120 million. UCLAN will provide 750 direct employment opportunities and an estimated 50,000 indirect employment opportunities for people in the area,” said Minister of Investment Promotion Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, moving the motion yesterday. Representatives from several other universities are expected to visit Sri Lanka next month. “Last year 16,000 students left Sri Lanka in search of foreign education. According to UNSECO, 400 have gone to Russia, 200 to China, 225 to Bangladesh, 100 to the United Kingdom, United States and Australia, 60 students to Nepal, Malaysia and Singapore, and 15 to India. We have remitted Rs. 3,120 million last year for these medical students. With the addition of other categories of studies, the total remittances exceed Rs. 9,945 million in 2012. It is true that local universities can accept almost 25,000 students. So, we are exploring options to provide education to the remainder while safeguarding the valued foreign reserves,” he said. Joining the debate, Opposition legislator Akila Viraj Kariyawasam approved the Government’s measure to bring in UCLAN to Mirigama even though the national education system has failed to maintain the State universities, establish legal parameters to govern foreign universities and provide accommodation, laboratories and libraries for the existing universities in Sri Lanka. “It is not healthy the way you are bringing in foreign universities to Sri Lanka. There has to be a central policy document to regulate related matters. We are happy to see that you follow the higher education plans of the United National Party, tabled many years ago. The Government has failed to provide accommodation for all State university students. So what assurance do we have that this project will succeed? First fill the requirements in local universities. We also propose granting study loans to local students. These loans can be recovered after graduation and securing employment. Private educational institutions and universities are mushrooming. Nobody looks into the quality and standards of what is taught in them,” said Kariyawasam. Year Number of student left Sri Lanka for studies 2006 11,042 2007 12,975 2008 15,770 2009 16,195 2010 16,150